Nothing Stays the Same
by jadedvixen
Summary: Jeff and Lita are going through some major changes. But how do they deal with what's happening around them? What are the consequences of their actions? Jeff, Lita, Christian, Trish Stratus, Edge, and more.
1. Inevitable

Title: Nothing Stays the Same.  
  
Author: Cathie McMath. (email: penrithpanther_03@yahoo.com.au)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Eric Bischoff, Rob Van Dam, Booker T - or any other WWE wrestlers that I may mention in this fic. I dream about owning them every night.. but in reality I don't. Good ol' Vinny Mac does.  
  
Summary: Lita reflects on Jeff's recent behaviour.  
  
Rating: PG. I think it's nice and clean.  
  
TimeLine: Now. January 2003.  
  
Distribution: Just email me and let me know if you'd like to have it.  
  
Author's Note: I was inspired to write this last night after RAW. There are a few errors there regarding real life issues: i.e - in my fic, RAW is live to air. So there fore, as Lita watches, it's happening. It hasn't been previously taped. And the other thing - Lita doesn't host Sunday Night Heat. It just made things easier for me if she didn't. Okay? All good! Onto the fic!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
She knew it was inevitable.  
  
Really, she knew it. It was bound to happen. In this business, it was the way things worked. Nothing ever stayed the same for long. If things never changed, that lead boredom. Boredom lead to drops in ratings. And drops in ratings was one of the worst things this company could go through. Especially now.  
  
She had to admit it. It made sense. It was a smart move. It was a good step. But regardless of all the positive things she could think of, Lita still felt that unmovable pang in the pit of her stomach.  
  
The redhead sat on the couch in her dimly lit living room, her eyes focused intently on the television screen in front of her. She watched the replays appear on the screen, JR and The King commenting all the while. The images moved across the screen again and again. It must've been about the fourth time she had seen the same thing, yet she still had trouble believing it had actually happened.  
  
Booker T pinning Jeff for the three count. Jeff was practically dominating that match. It was really only a matter of time before he pinned Booker for the fall. Then with an amazingly simply pin, Book got the count. Jeff rolled out of the ring quickly, and Lita silently thanked him for not attacking Booker T like he had attacked Rob Van Dam last week on RAW.  
  
Her thoughts flashed back to the previous week's RAW. Jeff had challenged RVD to a match after the Royal Rumble. She knew Jeff was pretty sore about Rob eliminating him, so it was only natural that the youngest Hardy brother wanted a match against him. Again, Jeff had dominated the match, suffering from many frustrating two counts on Van Dam. And then as Jeff had gone for the Twist of Fate, RVD reversed it for the pin.  
  
Seeing Jeff slap Rob's handshake away afterwards made Lita's stomach roll inside of her. And when he clotheslined him over the top rope.. her heart had stopped beating. But that wasn't the scariest thing. She had been terrified when she saw Jeff grab that steel chair, and ready himself for a hit on RVD.  
  
Thank God he hadn't hit him with that chair. Then she would've known it was all over. She had prayed throughout the week that his actions were purely out of frustration. But this week's RAW had proved her wrong.  
  
It made so much sense... yet it was still unbelievable. Jeff was turning--  
  
The sound of her telephone ringing beside her startled Lita from her thoughts, causing her to jump slightly at the shrill cry. Tucking her hair behind her ears, and placing the television on mute, she picked up the receiver.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Li." A breathless voice spoke over the phone, voice cracking with exertion.  
  
Lita felt all her muscles clench at the sound of his voice. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear what he had to say.  
  
"Hey Jeff." She licked her lips nervously. Nervously? Yeah, she was nervous as hell. She was talking to her best friend in the entire world, and she was nervous. "I, uh, I saw your match.. just then."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And.. I don't know." Lita took in a deep breath before continuing. "I guess this is the 'big change' you were telling me about a couple weeks ago, right?"  
  
"Right." Jeff was still breathing deeply, obviously tired from the match. Lita could hear the strain and effort in his voice, but there was something else there. Something that she just couldn't put her finger on...   
  
"Are you happy to do this, Jeff?"  
  
A pause on the other end of the phone. "Well, it's nice to have a change. I've been doing the whole 'fan-favourite, goody-goody-face' thing for what, almost four years now?" He paused again. "It's nice to have a change."  
  
Lita cradled the phone between her shoulder and her chin. She stood up from her couch, and made her way to her kitchen. "That's not what I asked. I know it's nice to have a change. But what I don't know is if you're happy with this." She opened her fridge door and pulled out a bottle of water. Pouring it into a clean glass, she waited for his reply.  
  
"Li, I.. it sucked tonight." She heard a deep sigh escape his lips. "Hearing all those people boo for me. It really.. sucked."  
  
"I can imagine."  
  
"No, you can't. The thing is.. when I entered onto that ramp, the whole place was just screaming for me. I mean, they usually do."  
  
"Not that you're full of yourself or anything.." Lita joked.  
  
Jeff managed a small chuckle. "No, I'm serious. For years now, everyone just cheers for me. So.. when I came in and heard all those cheers, it was nothing to me. Like, I'd heard it all before. But after I attacked Booker, and they all began to boo for me... I just really wanted to hear those cheers again."  
  
Sipping on her glass of water, Lita felt her face fall. She could just imagine Jeff's face right now. He sounded so alone, and so vulnerable. Her little baby Jeffrey... "Oh, Jeff. Why don't you just tell Eric that you don't want to play this angle? I'm sure he can find a way to reverse this for you."  
  
Jeff's voice took on a forced enthusiasm. "Well, I was talking to Eric about it earlier on. And you know, he was telling me that all the great superstars have had to turn heel at some point in their career. Hulk Hogan did. Steve Austin did. Rocky..."  
  
As Jeff rattled off the names of WWE superstars who had made it big, and made it as a heel, Lita smiled sadly to herself. He was using the exact same logic she had been using when she watched him attack RVD and Booker T. The poor guy. He must've been miserable. She turned her attention back to Jeff's words.  
  
"...even Ric Flair. This probably means really good things for me, Li. It means I'm being recognised, and I'm going somewhere."  
  
Lita sat back down on her couch, watching RAW on mute as she talked to Jeff. "You're right Jeff. I was thinking the exact same thing earlier. It's true. You can't stay a face forever, if you want to become a star in this company."  
  
"Yeah." Jeff agreed. "Yeah. There's just one thing that really bothers me about it all."  
  
"Oh?" Lita asked, curious to know what the 'one thing' that bothered him above all else in this situation was. "And what's that?"  
  
"You."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"You. When you come back. You're still coming back to RAW, aren't you?" Jeff asked, the uncertainty in his voice apparent.  
  
The redhead nodded, even though she knew Jeff couldn't see her actions over the phone. "Yes. Definitely. There's no way I could work at Smackdown. Not with Matt.. not with him being there." Her voice had gone quiet at the end of her sentence. Lita cleared her throat, shaking away any thoughts about the elder Hardy brother. "Yeah, I'm still coming back to RAW. Why?"  
  
It was Jeff's turn to clear his throat. "Well, you're obviously going to want to go for the Women's Title. And I'm sure Victoria will still be holding it when you come back. She's got absolutely no competition here." Lita let out a small laugh, and Jeff continued. "So, how will it work?"  
  
"How will what work?"  
  
"Me and you. How will we work? If you're feuding with Victoria, then you'll be the face. You'll be the good guy in that equation. But.. with my new angle.. I'm going to be the heel. I'll be the bad guy. How can we still be a team like that?"  
  
Lita froze. She hadn't even thought about that. Of all the scenarios that had run through her head since she first realized Jeff had been turning heel.. she somehow still managed to think that their partnership would be able to stay intact. Of course, now she realized that would be impossible to work.  
  
Damn! When she finally made her return to the WWE from her neck injury, she had no intention what-so-ever to make a turn to heel. She wanted to stay face, at least for a couple of months. She wanted to return face, and she wanted to stay face for a while. So how could her and Jeff work as a team, with her as a goody, and him as a baddy?  
  
"Li? You still there?"  
  
"I'm still here, Jeff. I just never thought of that before."  
  
"You see?" Jeff's breathing had calmed down now, but the worry was rising in his voice. "We can't work together like that. We can't be a team."  
  
"Sure we can! We'll figure out a way for it to work."  
  
Lita heard some muffled voices on the other end of the phone, and movement. Damn it, Jeff would probably have to get off the phone. She didn't want to stop talking to him. Not yet. They had so much to talk about. She listened to the voices through the receiver.  
  
"No, don't! I'm talking to Lita!" Jeff obviously talking to someone, and then a male voice saying something back to him. Lita couldn't make out the other man's voice or what he was saying. Some sounds of struggle, and the Jeff's voice once more. "We were in the middle of something, you know?"  
  
"Hello? Is this the lovely Lita?"  
  
A wide smile quickly spread onto Lita's lips at the sound of his voice. "Hey Chris. How are you?"  
  
The canadian's voice softened slightly. "Yeah, alright. I'm going to have to talk about Stacy tonight. In front of the crowd."  
  
Lita thought about the events that had happened last week on RAW concerning Stacy during Chris Jericho and Test's match. "Ouch. Not going to be pretty out there for ya."  
  
"Don't I know it. Anyway, I just wanted to tell Jeff that Eric wants to see him. So you're gonna have to say goodbye now. I'll put him back on."  
  
"See ya Chris. Good luck out there! I'll be watching."  
  
"Thanks Li. I'll be seeing you soon, okay?" More sounds of movement in the background as the phone was handed back to Jeff.  
  
"Well, it looks like Eric wants to talk to me about something, so, I'm going to have to go now."  
  
"Okay. Are you coming for a visit this weekend?" Lita asked, knowing that it had been a couple of weeks since Jeff's last visit. Since she had been injured, he had tried his very hardest to come up and see her as often as he could. But sometimes his schedule was just too busy to allow him the time.  
  
"I'll be there."  
  
She smiled. "I'll see you then." She paused. "And remember, we'll work something out. Don't worry about it okay?"  
  
"Okay. I'll see you in a few days." His voice lowered to that of a whisper. "Love ya."  
  
"Love you too Hardy. Behave yourself."  
  
"Always do. Bye Li."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Lita hit the 'end' button on her phone, and placed it back onto the hook. As she sat back onto her couch, she grabbed the television remote and turned mute off. As the sound from the television was turned back on, Lita couldn't help but notice the sinking feeling she had in her stomach.  
  
What Jeff had said really had her spun out. What were they going to do? They couldn't NOT be a team, could they? Lita hadn't been by herself in the WWE ever! She was with Essa firstly, and then she was with the Hardys! Even after the Hardys split - she always had Jeff to rely on. Her and Jeff were a team. Now.. she wasn't so sure.  
  
The sinking feeling stayed firmly at the bottom of her stomach as she watched the screen. The women's championship match began to start. Trish and Victoria in the ring, well, in a street fight! Lita thought about the long standing feud between the two Divas. She'd been watching them both anxiously. Victoria being fairly new in the ring, and Trish's skills as a wrestler improving greatly.  
  
The redhead watched the match eagerly. Trish had become the model face - quite the turnaround from what she used to be. The crowd loved her now. And Victoria was the perfect heel. Crazy, unpredictable, and ruthless. Jeff was right. If Lita went up against Victoria for the title, she would undoubtedly be the face.  
  
As the match neared it's end, Lita found herself thinking about Trish and Victoria's feud once again. It had been on for quite some time now, and Victoria - with the help of Steven Richards - had dominated the whole time. It was only natural that Trish would win the title sometime soon. As Lita had been thinking earlier.. nothing stays the same for long in this business.  
  
That's when it hit her. Her eyes widened, and a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. The sinking feeling in her stomach lifted, and she breathed in deeply with relief.  
  
She had two more months to go - if all went well - until she would be able to return to the ring. Two more months. A lot could happen in two months... especially in this business. Jeff had nothing to worry about, for she had already worked something out. When she returned, her and Jeff would be together, as a team.   
  
It was inevitable. 


	2. Avoiding the Question

Title: Nothing Stays the Same.  
  
Author: Cathie McMath. (email: penrithpanther_03@yahoo.com.au)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Booker T, Chris Jericho, Christian, Shawn Micheals - or any other WWE wrestlers that I may mention in this fic. I dream about owning them every night.. but in reality I don't. Good ol' Vinny Mac does.  
  
Summary: Lita reflects on Jeff's recent behaviour.  
  
Rating: PG. I think it's nice and clean.  
  
TimeLine: Now. January - February 2003.  
  
Distribution: Just email me and let me know if you'd like to have it.  
  
Author's Note: The next installment. This was - obviously - inspired by the Jeff/HBK VS Jericho/Christian match last night on RAW. This wasn't exactly where I planned for this fic to go.. but who knows what's going on in Jeff's head? Heel, face.. what's he doing? I just don't get him.. *sigh* Anyway, enjoy the fic! Lemme know what ya'll think!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
"So, what's the deal, Hardy?"  
  
Jeff smirked to himself as he approached the grinning redhead. She was sitting on top of a table in the arena hallway, waiting for him after his match. He hoisted himself up onto the table, sitting next to her. Once perched comfortably, he turned to her and flashed a huge smile.  
  
Lita punched him in the forearm playfully, the grin that was playing on her lips growing even wider. "Come on! Answer me, Jeff. What's up?"  
  
The youngest Hardy simply kept on smiling, even letting out a soft chuckle. The body paint that had been plastered on his left arm, and onto his forehead was now smudged and faded. Sweat soaked his white singlet and matted his bright red hair. Through his exhausted breaths, he chewed his chewing gum, the same piece he had been chewing all through out the match up.  
  
Watching as Jeff kept the silent smile up, Lita's mind wandered to the match she had watched just minutes earlier. Jeff in a tag-team against Chris Jericho and Christian. And hell, he wasn't in just any tag-team. He had been partners with 'The Sexy Boy' himself. Shawn Micheals. She shook her head slightly she she continued to think about what she had just seen. And to think that just a couple of weeks ago, he had been attacking Rob Van Dam and Booker T.   
  
She had talked to him the night of the attack on Booker T - and he had told her that he was going to become a heel. That it was a big change for him, but one that needed to be made. And now? The other week he saved Test and Stacy from Christian and Jericho.. and this RAW he was teaming up with HBK? Lita was confused.  
  
Jeff looked at her, still wearing a 100 watt grin. "You want to know what's going on Li?" The diva nodded, and Jeff opened his mouth to explain, when they were joined by another figure. They both looked up at who approached them.  
  
"Great work out there tonight."  
  
Jeff got up from the table, and shook Shawn's hand. "You too man. That super kick you gave Jericho? Man - that was awesome! You had him knocked out cold!"  
  
Shawn Micheals ran a hand through his hair, still sweating slightly from the exertion of the match. His trademark grin sat on his lips as he replied. "Thanks." He pointed to Jeff. "That swanton of yours though, that was brilliant."  
  
Lita noticed that Jeff blushed slightly at the compliment from Micheals. She smiled to herself, watching the two men talk. She'd have to tease Jeff about that later on. She slowly slid off the table and stood next to Jeff, smiling at both men.  
  
"Ah, the lovely Miss Lita." Shawn said, acknowledging her joining them. He gave her a tender hug, and smiled at her when they pulled away. "I thought I saw you running around back here earlier. Enjoy the match?"  
  
"It was great! You guys are a great team." She glanced over at Jeff and smiled. Ah, more blushing. "But I'm still a little confused. Jeff insisted I come down to watch this show live - and I can see why now - but it's such a radical change from a couple of weeks ago." She shrugged. "You knocked Jeff down flat on the mat, only two weeks ago, remember?"  
  
Shawn gave a warm laugh. "I did, didn't I?" He looked at Jeff. "Well Hardy, it looks like you got some 'splaining to do. Want to tell your lady friend here what's going on? Or shall I?"   
  
Jeff pressed his lips together, and scratched his head. He looked at Shawn, then at Lita. "Um --"  
  
"Hey guys!" Christian flung his arm around Shawn's shoulder, and smiled at the trio. "Hate to interrupt this little group discussion, but I thought we all deserved to go out for a drink or two. We pulled off a pretty damn good match tonight, if you ask me. So Jericho and I decided we should all go out and celebrate." His gaze fell on Lita. "And of course, another thing to celebrate, is having Lita here with us all tonight."  
  
She flashed a wide smile his way, then looked over at Jeff. "Sure, but first Jeff was going to--"  
  
"-- Li, let's just go out. I can tell you all about what's going on later, at the hotel, okay?" Jeff looked at her, eyebrow's raised, voice hopeful. Lita knew he was trying to put off telling her what was going on, for some reason or another. The sneaky little thing. She'd get it out of him if it was the last thing she did.  
  
She looked at the three men standing around her, and behind them saw Chris Jericho approaching. Damn, a night out with her friends sure did sound good though. She sighed deeply and shrugged. "Fine, fine. You can tell me later."  
  
Jeff smiled, and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. "Great. Just let us all have a shower so we don't stink, and look like crap."  
  
Jericho, who just joined the group, laughed as he pushed his damp, blonde locks behind his ears. "A shower isn't going to help you with that Jeff. You're stinky and looking like crap naturally." He smirked at Lita, who giggled softly in response.  
  
"Oh, ha, ha Jericho." Jeff said sarcastically, then laughed sincerely. "Just remember who pinned your ass tonight."  
  
Chris held his hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay. Sorry! You certainly got me there." He let out a chuckle.  
  
Lita patted Chris on the shoulder as the group of friend's made their way to the locker rooms. "By the way, great performance after the match. You looked absolutely livid!"  
  
Christian laughed. "Yeah, there's an Oscar nomination right there, buddy."  
  
Lita smiled as she listened to her friends talk and joke. Being at home, injured, all by herself for so many months - she really missed them all. All the interaction between everyone, all the jokes, all the fun, all the nights out, all the celebrations. She really missed it.  
  
Jeff wrapped his arm around her waist casually as he chatted to Shawn about their match. Lita could tell he was extremely happy about being teamed up with one of his idols, and couldn't wait to talk to him about it.  
  
She also couldn't wait to talk to him about what was going on. Heel? Face? What exactly was Jeff doing? And why was he so damn reluctant to tell her anything? 


	3. That's Harsh

Title: Nothing Stays the Same.  
  
Author: Cathie McMath. (email: penrithpanther_03@yahoo.com.au)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Trish Stratus, Edge - or any other WWE wrestlers that I may mention in this fic. I dream about owning them every night.. but in reality I don't. Good ol' Vinny Mac does.  
  
Summary: Lita reflects on Jeff's recent behaviour.  
  
Rating: PG. I think it's nice and clean.  
  
TimeLine: Now. Starting from January through to right now - March 2003.  
  
Distribution: Just email me and let me know if you'd like to have it.  
  
Author's Note: The next chapter is finally up. This one was again - quite obviously - inspired by the Trish and Jeff kiss last week on RAW (18-03-03). As I upload this, tonight's RAW is showing.. and I know I'll have to write another chapter very soon. Damn the WWE writers to hell! Goddamn Trish and Jeff.. *sigh* Anyway, as usual. Hope you enjoy the fic, and make sure to leave me a review!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
"Oh! That had to hurt!"  
  
"Poor Helms!" Lita winced, turning her gaze away from the screen, unable to watch the beating The Hurricane was being put through. Covering her eyes with her hands, she asked, "What's happening now?"  
  
Sitting next to her on the couch, Edge commentated. "Uh oh."  
  
"What?" Lita asked, still shielding her eyes from the television screen. "What's happening?"  
  
"Rocky just picked up a chair."  
  
Lita yelped slightly as she heard the familiar crack of a steel chair hitting human bone. She knew that The Rock was one of the most experienced guys in the business, and she knew that he always made sure he was careful when using weapons and the like. But still, she couldn't help but feel for Shane Helms. It was never easy taking chair shots - she knew that from experience.  
  
"That's it. I can't take listening to this anymore." Lita rose up from the couch and walked into her kitchen. "Did you want another drink?" She called out.  
  
Edge tore his gaze away from the television screen, and noticed that his beer was empty. "Yeah, thanks." He called back, and continued watching the RAW broadcast.  
  
Lita fumbled around in her refrigerator, trying to find another couple of beers. Finally, pushed all the way to the back, she found two bottles. Closing the fridge door behind her, Lita thought about how good it was to have Edge here at home with her, watching RAW. It wasn't often that any of the WWE superstars were able to come and visit her at home, so whenever it happened she was extremely grateful.  
  
Digging around in her cupboard, Lita searched for some nacho chips. It was almost like tradition, to eat nacho chips and drink beer while watching any WWE program. She laughed to herself as she remember how it had first started. It had been Jeff's idea - but then again weren't all the crazy ideas Jeff's? At first it had started as something he insisted on having when watching tapes or live broadcasts, and soon enough it caught on and became a sort of ritual among them.  
  
Still rustling in the cupboard, searching for the chips, Lita was interrupted by Edge calling out to her. "Hey Red, the Trish and Jazz versus Victoria and Steven Richards match is on!"  
  
She laughed as she replied, "Is Stevie wearing his pink tights?"  
  
"Yep! I swear, he wears them just for you." The blonde canadian retorted, chuckling as well.  
  
Lita walked back into the lounge room, the two bottles of beer in one hand, and a bowl of nacho chips in the other. She sank back into the couch as she handed Edge his beer and placed the bowl on the coffee table in front of them. She gave a content sigh as she opened her beer and took a gulp.  
  
The two friends sat and watched the match in silence at first, both of them admiring the four talented athletes that were in the ring.  
  
"Trish has improved alot, hasn't she?" Lita commented as she watched the petite blonde diva throw Victoria to the ground.  
  
Edge nodded. "She sure has. You better watch out next time you're in the ring with her.. she might just surprise you." He gave the redhead a sideways glance.  
  
Lita bit her lip, grinning back at him. "Hey, she's no match for the 'extreme diva' of the WWE." She then fell into a fit of giggles, and Edge shook his head at her.   
  
"You're a crazy one, you know that?"  
  
"I know. I'm only trying to keep up with Victoria though." She winked at him, and they both turned their attention back to the television screen. "Oh, geez. Trish is getting killed in there. She needs to tag Jazz in - quick."  
  
Edge hissed as he watched Victoria kick Trish in the face. It didn't look like Trish was going to get a chance to tag out soon... but then Victoria went to flip over the ropes, and luckily Trish moved just in time. Victoria fell flat on her behind, dropping to the floor quickly. She managed to tag in Steven Richards, but Trish ended up avoiding his assault as well, leaving him stranded on the turnbuckle.  
  
"Oh, that's it. Trish has the tag now. Go on! Crawl! Hurry!" Lita urged, watching as the canadian diva crawled her way to the corner, stretching out her hand to tag in Jazz. Jazz reached into the ring, leaning to reach Trish's hand. And just as their hands were about to meet, Jazz pulled hers away, and began walking down the steps - down the ramp.  
  
Edge turned to Lita, eyes wide. "Did you see that? Jazz just left her there! With Victoria and Steven! I can't believe --"  
  
Lita only nodded. "Ah, the writers finally got something right. Jazz and Trish don't like each other, remember Edge? Or so the storyline goes, anyway." Lita grabbed a chip from the bowl on the table and popped it in her mouth. "You know that Jazz is an amazing woman, out of character. She's really sweet to us all. But due to the storyline, it just wouldn't be right to have them help each other, even if they were a tag-team."  
  
"Still," Edge muttered, watching as Trish frowned deeply, looking at Jazz with an angry and betrayed look on her face. "That's harsh."  
  
The two continued to watch closely as Steven grabbed Trish from behind, holding her up over his head, and then slamming her down into the mat. He tagged Victoria in, who then proceeded to deliver The Widows Peak to an already beaten down Trish.  
  
"Just cover her and get it over with." Lita whispered, knowing how painful this match would be for Trish.  
  
Victoria covered Trish, getting the three count from the referee. Yet both her and Steven continued to stay in the ring, taunting Trish as she lay on the mat in front of them. Both Lita and Edge gasped as they watched Richards lift Trish from the mat, and place her head under his arm, readying himself to give her a DDT.  
  
And when the two friends thought things couldn't get any worse for the blonde diva, they realised that Victoria had brought in a steel chair from ringside.  
  
"Oh, crap." Lita sighed. "Poor Trish.."  
  
"Or not! Someone's come out to help her!" Edge said excitedly, noticing how the crowd rose to their feet and screamed for joy.  
  
The camera shot changed quickly, showing the figure that was making their way down the ramp.   
  
"It's Jeff!" Lita exclaimed quickly, a wide grin appearing on her face. "Look at him go!" She sat on the edge of the couch as she watched Jeff fend off both Steven and Victoria. When they were both out of the ring, he turned to Trish and began to help her to her feet. Lita smiled proudly at her best friend's actions.  
  
Even though he and Trish didn't have a perfect past - hell, they didn't even have a smooth past - Jeff was the kind of guy who couldn't sit back and watch a woman get beat upon. God, she loved him for that. Loved that he was so unlike so many other guys. The redhead continued to watch the screen as Jeff held Trish steady.  
  
"Look at my beautiful boy." Lita cooed, smiling at Edge. "See? That's why I'm best friends with that man. Unlike many of those other superstars back there he has the decency to --"  
  
Lita stopped speaking suddenly as she turned her gaze back on the screen, just in time to see Trish and Jeff kiss. 


	4. Awkward Silences

Title: Nothing Stays the Same.  
  
Author: Cathie McMath. (email: penrithpanther_03@yahoo.com.au)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Trish Stratus, Edge - or any other WWE wrestlers that I may mention in this fic. I dream about owning them every night.. but in reality I don't. Good ol' Vinny Mac does.  
  
Summary: Lita reflects on Jeff's recent behaviour.  
  
Rating: PG. I think it's nice and clean.  
  
TimeLine: Now. Starting from January through to right now - April 2003.  
  
Distribution: Just email me and let me know if you'd like to have it.  
  
Author's Note: Next chapter! I'm still pissed off about this whole Trish and Jeff thing, so for as long as they keep that going.. there will continue to be more chapter of this fic! Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter, leave me a review and let me know what you think, okay?  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
Jeff smiled brightly as he walked backstage, his arm wrapped around Trish's waist. His breathing was laboured, and his left knee was aching terribly, but he couldn't help but grin widely as he held the petite blonde diva in his arms. Not only had he scored a win over Steven Richards - and wins had become rare for him recently - but he also had the additional pleasure of having Trish by his side.  
  
He wasn't quite sure how it had happened. Wasn't quite sure how he and Trish had formed this relationship. It had been scripted for him to go out to the ring and save her on RAW two weeks ago, when her tag partner Jazz deserted her in the ring. He had known about a planned alliance between himself and Trish for a few weeks now. But when he was out there, in that ring with her.. something happened between them. Something that he didn't know how to explain.  
  
They kissed.  
  
And since that kiss, things had just escalated from there. Eric Bischoff loved the idea of turning them into a couple on screen - said that he couldn't have thought of a better angle himself - and Jeff had to admit that he didn't hate the idea either. Off screen, the relationship between Trish and himself had heated up dramatically. Over the past two weeks, all of their free time had been spent together. After their successful tag match against Victoria and Steven Richards last week, they had gone out afterwards to celebrate. And the night before, at Wrestlemania, Jeff had been backstage cheering for Trish during her triple threat match. When Wrestlemania was over, the two had gone back to the hotel room together.. choosing to stay inside rather than go out with the others and celebrate.  
  
Yes, Jeff had been spending alot of time with the little canadian diva. In fact, he was pretty sure the only other woman he had spent so much time with before was Lita. And --  
  
"Oh!"  
  
"What?" Trish asked, glancing up at the Hardy.  
  
Jeff looked down at her, wiping away some body paint that had been smudged against her forehead with his thumb. "I've gotta call Li! I completely forgot." As they made their way towards the nearest phone in the arena hallway, Jeff explained to Trish. "It's kind've become this ritual. Since she's been injured, stuck at home, I've called her after every single RAW I've been at." And as he spoke, Jeff realised that he hadn't talked to his redheaded best friend for a while.. almost three weeks, actually. He'd been so caught up in doing things with Trish that he had completely forgotten about calling her, and he wasn't able to drop by and see her on his days off as he had been spending them with Trish at her place...  
  
Jeff cursed himself silently as he picked up the phone, detaching himself from Trish. The blonde diva leant against the hallway wall as she watched Jeff dial Lita's number. He paused, and placed the phone back onto the hook.  
  
Jeff looked over at her. "You don't have to stand there and wait for me, you know."  
  
She smiled back at him. "I know. But I want to."  
  
Jeff grinned at her, then pushed his hair behind his ears. "Seriously Trish, I might be awhile. Why don't you go back to the locker room?" The blonde pouted, and Jeff only chuckled. "Come on. Get my stuff together, so we can leave soon, alright? We'll go out and grab something to eat.. maybe grab a movie as well?"  
  
Trish smiled brightly, and gave him a kiss on the cheek as she walked away. "Alright. Don't be too long! I'll be waiting."  
  
Jeff smirked as he watched her walk away, down the hallway. Damn, that girl sure did make him smile. He picked the phone back up from the receiver, and began to dial Lita's number.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
"He even held the ropes for her, Edge!"  
  
Edge bit his lip as he rubbed the redhead's back, trying to provide some sort of comfort to her. He wasn't quite sure what to do, or what to say to her. He knew she was confused, and frankly, so was he. There was no two ways about that. But he also knew that she was hurt, even if she wouldn't admit it to him.  
  
Since he had been put out of action due to his neck surgery, Edge had been spending alot more time with Lita. And since RAW a few weeks back, that amount of time had increased even more. He had been sitting right next to the redheaded diva as they witnessed the kiss between Jeff Hardy and Trish Stratus. He had seen the pain and hurt and confusion in her hazel eyes, even when she denied feeling anything but surprise over her best friend's actions.  
  
And he had been there, right beside her, over the past few weeks when Jeff hadn't called her - not even once - and she had been subjected to more footage of him and Trish together on RAW. Edge had been there, and he was there now as well, watching as Lita yet again, watched Trish and Jeff cuddle and kiss on screen.  
  
"Li, honey.."  
  
"This obviously isn't a one-off thing, is it Edge? Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't he tell me that this was his newest storyline?" The thick sound of confusion lined Lita's voice as she watched the television screen closely.  
  
Edge slipped his arm around Lita's shoulders, and she placed her head on his shoulder. He wanted desperately to rest his head on top of hers, in an added sign of comfort, but the damn hard collar that he was wearing made that impossible to do. Instead, he patted her thigh gently.  
  
"Sweetie, try not to think about it, okay? I'm sure that Hardy has a good reason for not telling you about it." He watched the screen as it played images of Jeff defeating Steven in the ring once more, then cutting to show Trish and Jeff on the ramp, cuddling closely. He picked up the remote from where it sat beside him, and switched the channel.  
  
Lita lifted her head from his shoulder, and raised her brows at him questioningly. "What are you--"  
  
"We don't have to watch RAW, you know." Edge said as he returned her stare. "There's some good comedy shows on now, as well. I think that new drama is playing tonight.."  
  
"Edge..."  
  
"Lita." He sighed. "Can we please, just not focus on wrestling tonight?"   
  
He watched her silently, studying her face for a reaction. "Alright, tonight we'll watch whatever you want to watch." She relented, speaking softly.  
  
The blonde canadian let out a breath of relief as he turned up the volume, watching a sitcom. He actually wanted to watch RAW, find out what was going on and who was feuding with who.. but he knew that it was just too painful for Lita to watch. Week in, week out - to watch Jeff flirt with Trish, when the youngest Hardy hadn't even bothered to give her a call..   
  
Through his thoughts, Edge heard a soft giggle leave the redhead. He turned his head slightly to look at her, and felt a warm sensation in his stomach as he saw her smile, and then laugh a second time. She cocked her head towards him, and bit her lip. "This is a good show." She let out another small giggle. "Thanks."  
  
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her tightly and grinning widely. "My pleasure."  
  
The two friends were interrupted by the shrill cry of the phone. Lita stood up casually, and walked over to the phone hanging on the wall.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey!" She heard the voice on the other end shout. "Li, honey! How are you?"  
  
Lita felt her stomach drop. It was Jeff. Calling her, after not bothering to call for three weeks, and acting as if everything was okay. She could hardly gather up any words to speak to him. "Hey. I'm fine." Her tone was steady, lacking of any emotion.  
  
Jeff ignored Lita's less than enthusiastic reply. "Did you see my match?" He laughed slightly. "I killed Stevie! I got the win!"  
  
She stood in the living room, watching as Edge continued to focus on the sitcom that played on the television screen, chuckles escaping from his lips every now and again. "That's great, Jeff. Good for you."  
  
At the arena, on the other end of the telephone line, Jeff frowned at Lita's distanced replies. "Li? Did you even see the match?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, I saw it Jeff. You did well."  
  
Jeff strained his hearing, and he could hear sounds in the background. Well, there would be noises if Lita was watching RAW, right? Only that didn't sound like JR and King.. and then he heard it. A loud laugh in the background - that didn't come from the television.  
  
"Lita? What was that?"  
  
"What was what, Jeff?" She asked, sighing slightly.  
  
"That noise." Jeff shifted his weight as he stood in the arena hallway, pressing the phone to his ear. "It sounded like --"  
  
"Li! You gotta see this! Quick! It's hilarious!" Edge laughed loudly, calling out to the redhead.  
  
Lita nodded to the blonde. "Yeah, I'll be there in a minute Edge."  
  
"Oh," Jeff said quietly. "Edge is over there?"  
  
Lita chewed on her lip. She was still so angry at Jeff. Firstly, for not telling her anything about this Trish storyline. Then, not bothering to ring for close to three weeks. And then having the nerve to call and expect everything to be fine between them.. That boy needed to get his things together.. "Yeah, he's here." She paused. "He's been here with me alot of the last few weeks. Keeping me company, and stuff."  
  
Jeff felt a pang of guilt pierce his stomach at his best friend's words. He knew she hadn't said that in order to make him feel like a selfish pile of shit, but that's what the result was. He felt horrible. "Li, honey, I'm sorry I didn't ring you over the last couple of weeks. I've just been heaps busy and --"  
  
"No, Jeff. Don't apologise, okay? It's fine. Edge kept me company."  
  
Goddamn, Jeff growled softly. He wished she'd stop saying that. "Well, whatever. I'm still sorry."  
  
"Yeah, it's fine." There was an awkward silence on the phone, and Lita shivered from the tension between them. "Look, Jeff, I've gotta go. Edge is waiting..."  
  
"Oh, sure, sorry. Don't want to keep Edge waiting." Jeff was surprised at how bitter that sounded. He threw in a small laugh, trying to hide the amount of malice that lined that last sentence.   
  
Lita cleared her throat. "Yep. Well, I'll talk to you later."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Okay. Bye Jeff."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Lita hung the phone back up on the hook that was attached to the wall, and sat back down next to Edge on the couch. She felt terrible. That conversation - if you could even call it that - was horrible. The amount of awkwardness there was huge, and she hated it. If only he had told her..  
  
Edge interrupted her thoughts, rubbing her shoulder lightly. "You okay? That was Jeff on the phone, wasn't it?" His brow was furrowed slightly, a worried look placed on his face as he looked at the redhead.  
  
She nodded her head slightly, sighing as she leant against him. "Yeah, it was. I'm just so.. angry at him, you know? He's my best friend, Edge, and he couldn't even tell me about this. I don't get it."  
  
"Is that really why you're angry at him though?" The blonde canadian asked hesitantly, unsure of whether he should be asking this yet. "I mean, just because he didn't tell you about it?"  
  
"Well, that and the fact that he hasn't bothered to call me or anything.. yeah. That's why I'm mad. Why?"  
  
He ran a hand through his hair, being careful not to move his neck too much as he did so. Damn this stupid collar... "Well, I've been watching RAW with you pretty much since Jeff and Trish first got together.." He watched her scowl at his words, all the more proving his point. ".. and I've seen your reaction everytime they're on screen together."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And, well, are you sure you don't actually have a problem with them being together?"  
  
Lita shook her head defensively. "I told you. I'm just angry that Jeff, for some reason or another, didn't tell me about it and--"  
  
"Okay, okay. No need to get all defensive. I was just asking." Edge turned his attention back to the television screen, and focused on the sitcom playing in front of them.  
  
Still frowning slightly, Lita tore her gaze away from Edge, and again focused on the screen in front of her. She desperately tried to keep her mind focused on the show that was playing, tried to concentrate on the corny cliche`d jokes that were in every sitcom show. But she found that she simply couldn't. She just kept thinking about Edge's question, and why he wanted to know... 


	5. The Set Up

Title: Nothing Stays the Same.  
  
Author: Cathie McMath. (email: penrithpanther_03@yahoo.com.au)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Trish Stratus, Edge - or any other WWE wrestlers that I may mention in this fic. I dream about owning them every night.. but in reality I don't. Good ol' Vinny Mac does.  
  
Summary: Lita reflects on Jeff's recent behaviour.  
  
Rating: PG. I think it's nice and clean.  
  
TimeLine: Now. Starting from January through to right now - April 2003.  
  
Distribution: Just email me and let me know if you'd like to have it.  
  
Author's Note: This chapter was quite obviously inspired by the Lita segment on RAW tonight (22/4). I am PISSED off with Eric Bischoff! *sigh* Is he trying to kill RAW? Anyway, lemme know what you think of this chapter. I luv those reviews!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
No way.  
  
Jeff paused as he took a sip from his water bottle. He felt his heart begin to race as he listened to what Jonathan Coachman was saying as he stood out in the middle of the ring. Something that he was saying - or maybe it was the way he was saying it - made Jeff's stomach roll around inside of him.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honour.. my privilege.. to introduce to you one of the greatest women superstars ever in World Wrestling Entertainment --"  
  
Sitting on the couch in the locker room, Jeff kept his gaze focused on the monitor in front of him. Could he be introducing.. no, it couldn't be. Surely, if it was her, he would've seen her backstage before the show. Surely, if it was her, she would've told him about it. Surely, if it was her, he would know.  
  
Wouldn't he?  
  
" -- Please welcome, Lita!"  
  
Alone in the locker room, the youngest Hardy brother rose quickly out of his seat, standing in front of the television screen in shock. She was here! She was here! And she was going out to the ring! His level of excitement quickly sank. Why hadn't he known about this? He hadn't had a clue..  
  
He watched as she entered from backstage, the entire audience cheering for her. She looked gorgeous as she ran down the ramp towards the ring, playing up to the fans and smiling. Jeff couldn't help but get a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach when he noticed her give the Hardys "gun" sign when she climbed to the turnbuckle in the ring. Still standing in front of the monitor, Jeff kept his own breathing quiet as she took the microphone from Coach's hand.  
  
Jeff listened carefully as Lita talked about her time away from the ring. He watched closely as she smiled when the crowd chanted her name loud and strong. He smiled as well, knowing how good she must be feeling hearing that once again. He watched her talk in the ring, and it amazed him how incredible she looked.  
  
He actually hadn't seen her in quite a few weeks. The last time he had even spoken to her over the phone was two weeks ago. Since then, things hadn't been so great between him and his best friend. For some reason, the last phone call they had was forced and unnatural. And of course, a lot of his free time - time that he would normally have spent visiting Lita - had been taken up by Trish. And it seemed that a lot of Lita's free time was being taken up by Edge.  
  
It had been at least a month since Jeff had seen Lita in person. And she was looking absolutely amazing. Her hair was a brilliant shade of red, with a few blonde streaks throughout. Her eyes sparkled whenever she smiled, and her whole face lit up when the audience cheered. She really thrived being out there.  
  
Suddenly, Jeff's studies on Lita were broken as Eric Bischoff's music played. Jeff shuddered inwardly. If Eric was coming out, something not-good was about to happen. That was just an obvious fact that everyone at the WWE had come to learn since Bischoff's arrival. When you heard that music, something was about to go down. And it was never good.  
  
The blue and green haired man sat back onto the couch, watching as Eric Bischoff slithered around the ring, talking to Lita. Although he wouldn't even classify that as talking. It was more like a hissing. Jeff watched as Eric told Lita that she "impressed" him; watched as he ran his hand through her hair, brushing it away to expose her neck; watched as he ran his hand down her arm; watched as he made quite a number of very indecent proposals to the redheaded diva.  
  
Jeff knew that Eric Bischoff - the man, not the character - was a really great guy. Eric respected the superstars, and treated them all with an equal amount of trust and understanding. He sure knew how to play a villain though, when the time called for it. His character was certainly the guy everyone loved to hate, and Eric played it off brilliantly. So much so, that Jeff had to stop himself from running down to the ring and beating the shit out of him for the things he was saying to Lita. But Jeff knew that there was a reason for it all. And Eric was a genius when it came to the business, so it was more than likely a damn good reason at that.  
  
After Lita was finally allowed to speak, Jeff chuckled out loud at her reply to Bischoff's advances. "Go to hell." That's my girl.   
  
Jeff watched as Eric spluttered about in the ring, threatening Lita. The strong willed woman never looked back, walking straight up the ramp. It was then that he said it. It was then that Jeff felt all his feeling's of pride, and happiness fade away.  
  
"Fine. You've made your choice. Lita.. YOU'RE FIRED!"  
  
No. No. That couldn't be right. It was her first time back on RAW in more than a year, and he had fired her already? No.. that couldn't be the right storyline. There must have been a mistake. And she didn't even look surprised. It was like she knew it was coming...  
  
Jeff quickly rose from his seat once again, throwing the locker room door open and storming out into the arena hallway. Desperate to find Lita, Jeff made his way towards the backstage area. Nearing the area, Jeff caught sight of the man in question - his boss, Eric Bischoff.  
  
"Eric! Hey, Eric!"  
  
The dark haired man gave Jeff a slight wave, and walked up beside him. "What's up, Jeff? What can I do for you?"  
  
"For starters, you can tell me what the hell just happened out there?" Jeff asked forcefully, frowning at the RAW General Manager. "I mean, God Eric! I didn't even know Lita was going to be here tonight!"  
  
"No one did, besides me and her, of course. Coach only found out the minute he had to introduce her."  
  
Jeff shook his head fiercely. "That's not the point."  
  
Eric shrugged. "Look, Jeff. If you really want to know what's going on, I suggest you go talk to Lita herself."  
  
"Okay. Where is she?" Jeff immediately turned away from Eric, scanning the area for the redhead.  
  
"Aren't you forgetting something?" When he was met with a blank stare from the younger man, Eric sighed heavily. "You'll have to talk to her after the show. You have a match later. You're on in about 20 minutes."  
  
Jeff scowled. "Damn it. Me and Trish getting attacked by the Dudleys. Not even really a match, is it?"  
  
"I'm sorry. You'll have to wait until after your match to talk to Lita." Eric began to walk away, when Jeff grabbed his arm and stopped him.  
  
"No, wait. How's this: why don't you put Spike in my place?"  
  
His brow furrowing, Eric looked at Jeff with confusion sitting on his face. "Spike Dudley? But Jeff, you're Trish's partner."  
  
Waving his hand, Jeff shook his head, dismissing the comment. "It doesn't matter. This will be much more dramatic. Makes for better t.v! Spike against his brothers. It adds a whole emotional level to it." Jeff watched as Eric thought about his suggestion. "Come on, it'll work."  
  
"I don't even know if Spike is ready to wrestle tonight."  
  
"What wrestling? All he needs to do is take a couple of bumps."  
  
"But what if he doesn't have his gear with him?"  
  
"Trust me, he'll have it. Spike Dudley always has his gear with him. Just in case."  
  
Eric hesitated, studying Jeff closely. Then he let out a heavy sigh of defeat. "Fine, fine. Go on, find Lita. I'll go find Spike and let him know he's taking your place."  
  
"Thanks Eric."  
  
The two men began to walk in their separate directions, when Bischoff turned back to Jeff, calling out to him. "Do you want me to find Trish and let her know too?"  
  
"Um, yeah. Better do that as well." He waved a thank you to his boss. "Thanks!"  
  
As Jeff quickly made his way through the arena, it wasn't long before he came across Lita, who was talking with Victoria. Jeff approached the two divas, who ceased their conversation as the man neared them.  
  
The green and blue haired Hardy registered the look that Lita sent his way as he stood next to the two women, and felt his heart plummet to his stomach. It was a cold look, one that he'd never received from her before. Victoria wisely noted that she was about to witness something that was none of her business, and said goodbye to both Jeff and Lita, leaving the two alone in the hallway.  
  
"Can I talk to you?"  
  
Lita eyed Jeff carefully, and nodded, gesturing for him to follow her as she continued to walk down the hallway. "What do you want to talk about, Jeff?"  
  
Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Jeff glanced down at the floor as he spoke. "There's quite a lot actually. But I guess I'll start with - what happened out there?"  
  
Lita shrugged slightly, still keeping her pace. "It was just the set up for my return."  
  
"But, getting fired? Aren't there better ways to return to RAW then that?"  
  
Lita's eyebrows rose, as she turned her attention onto the man beside her. "That's just it. I'm not returning to RAW."  
  
Jeff almost stumbled over his own feet, stopping in his tracks. It took him a second to digest the information Lita had just given him before he recovered enough to catch up to the redhead, and begin questioning her once more.  
  
"Not - returning - to RAW?" He stuttered. "Then.. then.. where?"  
  
Her eyes narrowed as she stopped walking, giving Jeff her full attention. They had stopped just outside of the parking lot, and a cool breeze was blowing into the arena from the cold outside. Lita scoffed at Jeff's question. "Jeff, where else would I be going, if I'm not coming back to RAW?"  
  
"Smackdown!?" Jeff said, his voice quiet. Then, as if realising what it meant, his level rose considerably. "Smackdown!?! But you said you could NEVER work on Smackdown! Not with Matt being there and everything. You said you wouldn't be able to work with him! Why would you want to go to Smackdown, instead of RAW?"  
  
Lita shook her head gently, her features softening. "I can handle working with Matt." She kept her gaze on the younger Hardy brother, her head titled ever-so-slightly.  
  
Jeff frowned, unable to understand what his best friend was trying to say. "You can handle working with Matt? But why would you even want to TRY to handle it, when you can just stay here and --"  
  
He stopped. Oh, my God. It finally hit him. He finally realised what she meant.  
  
"You can handle working with Matt on Smackdown. But.. you can't handle working with me, here on RAW." 


	6. All About You

Title: Nothing Stays the Same.  
  
Author: Cathie McMath. (email: penrithpanther_03@yahoo.com.au)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Trish Stratus, Edge - or any other WWE wrestlers that I may mention in this fic. I dream about owning them every night.. but in reality I don't. Good ol' Vinny Mac does.  
  
Summary: Lita reflects on Jeff's recent behaviour.  
  
Rating: PG. I think it's nice and clean.  
  
TimeLine: Now. Starting from January through to right now - April 2003.  
  
Distribution: Just email me and let me know if you'd like to have it.  
  
Author's Note: This chapter, of course, deals with Jeff's departure. A few things I need to mention - in Real Life, Jeff's announcement was made the day after the RAW ep where Lita got fired. In this fic, it was a week after. That's all from me now.. now go and enjoy this long-ish chapter!!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
"No."  
  
"No?"  
  
The young woman nodded her head, her arms folded tightly across her chest. "That's right. I said no."  
  
Jeff reached up and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, looking down at the cemented arena floor as he did so. "Um, Li, I hate to say this, but it's too late. It doesn't matter if you say no a thousand times more, it won't change --"  
  
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!!" Lita said firmly, her body unmoving as the two stood in the middle of the hallway. She squared her jaw defiantly, staring at Jeff, waiting for his reply.  
  
"Please, don't do this."  
  
She unfolded her arms quickly, her face growing dark with anger. Her brow furrowed, her eyes narrowed, her lips raised into a snarl. "Don't do what?"   
  
The man standing in front of her shook his head gently, not wanting to look into her eyes. "This. Making it harder than it already is."  
  
"Oh, I shouldn't be making it any harder for you, is that what you're saying Jeff?" She took a few steps to her right, then moved back to her left, pacing the arena hallway. "You're actually saying that I shouldn't make LEAVING THE COMPANY any harder for you?"  
  
Jeff cowered at the anger he could clearly hear in his best friend's voice. She was pissed. There was no doubt about that. And, he relented, with good reason. She had just found out yesterday that he had been released from the WWE - which was a bombshell in itself - but she hadn't even found out from him.  
  
Lita had found out through the WWE website.  
  
It was actually kind of ironic, Jeff had thought, that she had found out about his departure through the internet. Lita never liked computers or the internet. Hardly ever touched them. But she had been at Edge's house, helping him out with some housework. They decided to hop on the computer, surf the net. And as they clicked on the WWE website, they were confronted with the news of Jeff's release from the company.  
  
Yep, Jeff nodded to himself. He knew why Lita was so angry. Still, he looked around, did she have to cause such a big scene?  
  
The two friends were standing in the RAW arena hallway, other superstars walking past them every now and then and glancing their way, and some - like Triple H and Randy Orton - had actually stopped a few metres away to watch and listen to their conversation. Or confrontation, as it seemed to be headed.  
  
Jeff focused back on Lita, who was standing in front of him, steaming with anger. He glanced at her quickly, then looked back down at the floor. "Why are you even here? Didn't you get 'fired' last week?"  
  
Lita ceased her fuming. She watched Jeff as he looked down at his feet, not even looking her in the eye as they talked. She felt herself grow cold as she answered his question. "The reason why I'm here is because I came to try and stop you from signing those final papers." The redhead looked down at the bundle of documents in Jeff's hands. "I know that you're going to see Bischoff right now, Jeff, to sign the last of those papers. The ones that will completely sever you from this company. And I came here tonight to stop you."  
  
"Lita, it's already done. There's just a few more things that need to be signed --"  
  
"Exactly. It's not done - yet." She grabbed Jeff's hand gently, and pulled him over to the corner of the hallway. "Why are you doing this, Jeff? Why are you quitting?"  
  
Jeff sighed. "I don't have the same passion for wrestling anymore. I want to go and try different things. Focus on my music, spend more time with Dad, maybe get out and --"  
  
"That's the bullshit answer that you give to the press. Now I want the real answer." Lita focused her hazel eyes on Jeff's green ones, her gaze steady. "Tell me why you're really leaving."  
  
For the first time since Lita had found Jeff in the arena hallway and stopped him, Jeff looked up from the floor and locked eyes with the redhead. He held her gaze, feeling a twisting feeling in his stomach as he looked into his best friend's eyes. He hadn't looked at her like this for so long... lately things had been so screwed up...  
  
"I can't do this without you."  
  
Lita felt a wave of nausea sweep over her entire body. She hadn't just heard that... had she? Did Jeff actually say what she thought he said? The diva took in long, gulping breaths as she tried to steady herself. Her legs had suddenly turned to jelly, and she felt as though she was about to collapse onto the floor. Her heart was beating hard and fast, the loud thumping ringing in her ears. She couldn't believe that six small words could have such a large effect on her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You wanted to know the real reason why I'm leaving the company? Well, that's it." Jeff said quietly, still keeping his bright, green eyes focused on Lita. "I can't do this without you."  
  
Before she could fall back into a wordless trance, Lita spoke quickly. "You've been doing this without me for a year, Jeff!" She could hardly believe the strain she felt in her voice.  
  
Jeff shook his head slowly. "I guess I have. But just barely, Li, just barely. You've seen what I've been doing this past year." He paused, the words struggling to come out of his mouth. "I've been doing nothing. My ring work has been sloppy and lazy - nothing what it used to be like, and I know that you, and everyone else, can see that my heart just hasn't been into wrestling."  
  
"What are you saying?" Lita asked, a confused frown marring her pretty face.  
  
"I have stayed in this ring for the past year, without you being here. That much is true. But I always knew that one day, you would be back here with me. At the end of the day, I could say to myself that I was a day closer to having you back in the ring, by my side." Jeff shrugged, his voice small and quiet. "Now you're going over to Smackdown..."  
  
Lita was still breathing deeply, partially unable to comprehend the words that Jeff was speaking. All of this emotion that he felt towards her.. all of this passion that he felt for her.. she had no idea. Here he was, saying he was quitting the business that he loved more than anything else in the world, because she wouldn't be there with him anymore. She could hardly believe it.  
  
"Jeff.. this isn't worth quitting over! Please, you can still do so much here --"  
  
"I just don't feel it anymore, Li. I don't feel the passion anymore. I don't feel the fire anymore. I don't feel the drive anymore." Once again, he looked down towards his feet. "I don't feel anything anymore."  
  
The redheaded diva shook her head fiercely. "What about Trish?"   
  
Jeff scoffed. "What about her?"  
  
She raised her palms to him, curious. "What does she think about all of this? Isn't she hurt?"  
  
"Hurt? Not likely." He rubbed his forehead, not particularly wanting to explain to Lita what had happened when he told Trish the news, but knowing that his friend needed to know everything if she was going to understand. "When I told Trish that I was just thinking of leaving, she turned into a completely different person. She told me that if I was to quit, there would be nothing to keep us together. She said that if I left the WWE, I would become worthless. And.." Jeff paused, clearing his throat slightly. "And she said that she didn't want anyone who was worth nothing."  
  
"No." Lita gasped, reeling. No way in the world Trish would ever say something like that. Lita studied Jeff, and she could see the gut-wrenching pain that was clearly evident on his face. She saw the tears glistening in his eyes, and his chin quivering ever so slightly.  
  
"Trish doesn't love me, Lita. Never did." He wiped at his eyes discreetly. "If she's hurt because I'm leaving, it's only because she needs to find someone else to use to climb to the top."  
  
Lita shook her head, almost unable to take in everything Jeff had told her in the last ten minutes. "Jeff, I'm so sorry. I never would've thought.. I.."  
  
Jeff waved her words away, keeping his back straight and trying to avoid showing any signs that he was more than a little upset. "Never mind. But don't you see? You were what was keeping me going. And now.. I just.. I can't."  
  
"But you were going so well.."  
  
"No, I wasn't!! The writers didn't know what they were doing. They'd change my direction every week, and just slap on a 'conflicted' label on my forehead to make it all okay!" Jeff took in a deep breath, a frown sliding onto his face.  
  
"Maybe if you just talk to someone on the creative team. Stephanie, even. Maybe then --"  
  
Jeff growled heavily. "Lita! I didn't know what I was doing!" He sighed, his anger fading into despair. "The creative team couldn't save me if they tried." Jeff raised his hand slowly, cupping Lita's cheek in his palm. "Only you could save me."  
  
Lita found herself leaning into Jeff's touch, finding some strange sense of comfort with him touching her. But then she shook herself out of it, reacting to what he had said. "Stop! Please stop making this all about me!"  
  
"But it is all about you. You wanted the truth, and I'm giving it to you."  
  
Lita grabbed her best friend by the shoulder's, almost shaking him with her grip. "Jeff, you can do this! Just tell Eric Bischoff that you don't need these papers anymore, that you're staying on RAW with the WWE, and that you'll try your hardest from now on." She held him firmly. "You can do this, with or without me here."  
  
Jeff stayed still, letting Lita shake him gently in her grip. He watched as she looked at him, pleading with him. Then, slowly, he removed himself from her grip, looked at the documents he held in his hand and walked down the hallway, his heart heavy.  
  
"I can't." 


	7. Culture Shock

Title: Nothing Stays the Same.  
  
Author: Cathie McMath. (email: penrithpanther_03@yahoo.com.au)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Trish Stratus, Edge - or any other WWE wrestlers that I may mention in this fic. I dream about owning them every night.. but in reality I don't. Good ol' Vinny Mac does.  
  
Summary: Change happens all the time in the WWE. In fact, both Jeff and Lita are going through some major changes. But how do they deal with what's happening around them? What are the consequences of their actions?  
  
Rating: PG. It's nice and clean. For now.  
  
TimeLine: Now. Starting from January through to right now - June 2003.  
  
Distribution: Just email me and let me know if you'd like to have it.  
  
Author's Note: You all know by now that I'm creating my own little world now for this fic. Jeff's gone, and Lita's still unable to wrestle.. but not in my world! Well, Jeff's still gone in my world but - Oh, just read the fic!  
  
Feedback: Oh please! Please, please read and review! I haven't recieved any reviews for the last chapter of this fic, so it sure would be swell if you could review now! I always love hearing what you guys think about my writing. So get busy readin' and reviewn'!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
It was different.  
  
She had to admit that. Smackdown was completely different to RAW. Within minutes of stepping into the arena, Lita had realised that. And then she realised that she was practically a stranger in a new world.  
  
Sure, she knew alot of the people on Smackdown. Most of them good friends, actually. But being that arena, working with them all... it was different. It was the first time Lita had been on a Smackdown show since the roster split. The first time she had worked with many of these superstars since the split. And she was feeling a little like a fish out of water. It wasn't so much that the way things worked was different to that on RAW, it was just the atmosphere. It was different.  
  
Making her way to her locker room with her gym bag tossed over her shoulder, Lita nodded to other superstars who she passed in the corridor. Most of these people she hadn't seen in months, some even longer than that. Working on different rosters made it hard to get into contact with people, and when she had gotten injured the distance had just grown. Now that she was here.. working on Smackdown, it was nice to see some old friends again.  
  
Lita spotted the Divas dressing room up ahead, and bit her lip as she made her way towards the door. She didn't know Dawn Marie or Nidia very well at all, she had never even met Sable before and her past with Torrie Wilson had been pretty shaky. She didn't know what to expect when she walked through that door.   
  
Stopping in front of it, she took a breath and adjusted her gym bag nervously. Then she pushed the door open, a wary smile appearing on her face. She immediately saw Dawn Marie and Nidia sitting on the couch on the opposite side of the room. As she entered, both women looked up at her. "Um, hi."  
  
Dawn Marie and Nidia stood from their places on the couch across the room, and both women made their way over to the redhead with bright smiles. Dawn surprised Lita by opening her arms in an invitation for a hug, and holding her warmly. "Lita, it's great to have you here!" She pulled away, and this time Nidia wrapped her up in a hug. "Welcome to the Smackdown family."  
  
Lita smiled as she set her gym bag down, happy that her welcome into the new roster had been a pleasant enough one. Granted, it was only two women that she had met... it was still a good start. "Thanks. It's nice to be here." She tucked her hair behind her ears. "Nice, but a little weird."  
  
"Bit of a culture shock, hey?" Dawn Marie asked, nodding in understandment. "I guess that's expected. Must be different coming over here from RAW."  
  
Lita shrugged. "It is, but I haven't really been a part of RAW now for over a year. So.. maybe it would feel this way even if I was back there, you know? It's still my return to the WWE, either way."  
  
Dawn nodded, understanding where Lita was coming from. "You'll get used to it in no time." She paused, smiling widely and giving a small laugh. "It really is great to have you here. We're finally building a decent women's division over here!"  
  
"Oh, just because I'm here doesn't make it any better..."  
  
"Yes it does. You are going to add so much here on Smackdown, Lita. The fans have been absolutely crazy since they heard you were relocating here!" Dawn commented.  
  
Blushing slightly, Lita ran a hand through her hair. "Well, I really don't see what all the hype is about. I just hope I live up to everyone's expectations."  
  
Nidia gave a slight smile. "Don't worry. You'll do fine here. Everyone's been looking forward to your arrival so much..."  
  
"Everyone?" Lita cleared her throat, not even sure why she was asking this question. "Even, um, Matt?"  
  
Nidia shot a quick glance at Dawn Marie, who focused her gaze on the floor. "Well, Lita, about Matt. There's probably something you should --"  
  
"No, you know what? I don't even want to know. I don't know why I asked." Lita let out a forced chuckle, and bent down to pick up her bag. She stood back up, making her way over to one of the benches. She turned back to the two divas who stood in the middle of the room, noticing the disbelief on their faces. "Really, it's okay. Let's just.. drop the subject."  
  
"Okay." Dawn Marie nodded, giving Nidia a pointed look. "Okay. We won't talk about Matt Hardy." The brunette walked back over to the couch she had been sitting at earlier and looked back over at Lita. "So how's Jeff doing?"  
  
Lita froze at the youngest Hardy's name, her breath catching in her throat. It amazed her, that simply hearing his name could give her such a reaction. That her breath would catch, that her heart would race, her knees shake, and her stomach roll. Such a violent reaction, all from his name.   
  
She was missing him terribly. Lita hadn't spoken to Jeff since that night in the RAW arena, when she had tried to stop him from leaving the company. She had tried and failed. The final papers had been signed, and Jeff was no longer a part of the WWE. And since that night, Lita had not heard a word from him. No phone calls, no visits, no letters - nothing. The only reason she knew he was still alive was because she had talked to Christian, who had gone to visit him. The blonde canadian said Jeff was coping, but seemed different. Even more different than what he normally was. Christian said that he seemed more quiet, and morose. And that was something that Jeff definitely was not.  
  
Lita had wanted to speak to him. She tried ringing, but her was never home. Or her never picked up... whatever it was, he never returned any of her phone calls. She had wanted to go over and visit him at home, but she had been so busy getting ready for her arrival on Smackdown...  
  
As quickly as she could, Lita regained her composure and kept unpacking her bag, pulling out her ring attire. "I um, I really wouldn't know how Jeff is."  
  
"You wouldn't know?" Nidia asked, obviously confused.  
  
"I haven't spoken to Jeff in a month. Not since.. uh, not since he quit."  
  
The brunette diva spoke up from her place on the couch. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. We all just thought you two would've still kept--"  
  
"So, where's Torrie and Sable?" Lita interrupted, gathering her ring attire on top of her bag and glancing over at Dawn. "I was looking forward to meeting the famous Sable, after all."  
  
Noticing the prompt subject change, but deciding to ignore it, Nidia made her way over to the television monitor, switching it on as she spoke. "Sable's doing a promo in the ring with Steph. You know, build up their new feud and all."  
  
Lita watched the monitor as Stephanie McMahon and Sable glared at each other, each holding a microphone in their hands and taking turns to spit insults at each other. The volume was turned right down, so Lita couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but from the look on each of the women's face, she could bet it was something nasty.  
  
"And Torrie is spending time with her boyfriend before his match." Dawn Marie shrugged. "She spends more time with him than with us most of the time anyway. Nothing unusual there."  
  
The redheaded diva's eyes lit up, eager to know the going-on's of behind the scenes. "So who's Torrie's man? I heard that she and Kidman had split, unfortunately. They seemed very happy together."  
  
"They were... in the beginning. But you know how these things go. When you're in this business, relationships die out. Sometimes there's nothing you can do, but end it before it gets ugly. Otherwise you're forced to sit there and watch it die."  
  
Lita nodded slowly, a painful reminder of the end of her relationship with Matt flashing through her head. "Yeah, I know what that's like. So who's the new guy in her life?"  
  
"It's --"  
  
Dawn Marie was interrupted as the door swung open, Torrie Wilson stumbling through the doorway, giggling loudly as she clutched at the man beside her. The two figures entered the room, laughing and smiling at each other. His arm was wrapped around Torrie's waist, pulling her as close to him as possible.  
  
Lita looked up at the pair, and for the second time that night, her breath caught in her throat. Her gaze involuntarily stayed fixed on the man with Torrie, her mouth agape as she stared at him. And it was then that his eyes fell on her, his own reaction quite similar to her own. The two stared at each other, each unable to form words.  
  
"My lipstick is in my bag, I'll just be a second." Torrie said to the man, oblivious to the tension and shocked looks that passed between him and Lita. The blonde diva let go of his arm and flounced across the room towards her bag.  
  
The man stood unmoving in the doorway, his fixed eyes never leaving Lita. He didn't say anything, though it looked like he was trying to get something out. Lita felt her palms begin to sweat, and her heart beat wildly in her chest. Finally, he opened his mouth.  
  
"Hi Lita."  
  
Hearing his voice ringing in her ears, Lita tried to will the sudden tears that sprang to her eyes away. She wasn't going to cry. No, godddamn it, she wasn't. She didn't care about him anymore. And it was obvious that he didn't care about her. So why waste any tears on him? As she tried to steady her breathing, Lita found herself desperately wishing that she had Jeff by her side.  
  
"Hello Matt." 


	8. Always

Title: Nothing Stays the Same.  
  
Author: Cathie McMath. (email: penrithpanther_03@yahoo.com.au)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Nidia or Dawn Marie - or any other WWE wrestlers that I may mention in this fic. I dream about owning them every night.. but in reality I don't. Good ol' Vinny Mac does.  
  
Summary: Change happens all the time in the WWE. In fact, both Jeff and Lita are going through some major changes. But how do they deal with what's happening around them? What are the consequences of their actions?  
  
Rating: PG. It's nice and clean. For now.  
  
TimeLine: Now. Starting from January through to right now - July 2003.  
  
Distribution: Just email me and let me know if you'd like to have it.  
  
Feedback: It's what makes me happy! And we all want a happy Cathie, don't we? So go on, send those reviews! It's for a good cause!  
  
Author's Note: You all know by now that I'm creating my own little world now for this fic. Jeff's gone, and Lita's still unable to wrestle.. but not in my world! Well, Jeff's still gone in my world but - Oh, just read the fic! Also, this chapter was quite difficult for me to write. I had a bit of trouble getting it down. Things are getting interesting though, and for those who are complaining about the lack of Jeff - he should be making an appearance next chapter.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
Lita's gaze quickly fled from Matt, as she focused on the floor beneath her feet. It was then that the redhead realised she hadn't looked Matt in the eyes since they had broken up. And that was over three months ago. For over three months she hadn't looked into those deep brown eyes. And now that she had, she realised going another three months without doing it again would be a good idea.  
  
Matt kept his dark eyes focused on Lita as he stood, unmoving, in the door way. Lita's head was still bowed, so she had no real way of knowing that the elder Hardy was still watching her. But somehow, she knew. She could feel him looking at her with confused and curious eyes. She could feel it.  
  
The room stayed silent, as the redheaded diva sat still on the couch, unable to move or speak. Matt kept quiet as well, and it seemed as if neither of the two could find anything more to say to each other.  
  
Torrie soon bounded back over to Matt, and immediately hooked her arm around his waist. "Found my lipstick!" She waved a bright red tube in front of the divas and Matt, and smiled brightly. Realising that the mood in the room had darkened dramatically, the smile slipped off the tall blonde's face. "Is everything okay?"  
  
Matt glanced quickly at his girlfriend, before returning his gaze to Lita. "Um, we uh... well, things are just..."  
  
"Fine." Lita looked up, a glassy appearance taking over her hazel eyes. "Things are just fine, Torrie." She stood from her position on the couch, and moved over to the two standing in the door way. "Matt was just welcoming me to Smackdown."  
  
Torrie's smile slid back onto her lips, and she looked warmly at Lita. "Well, then that goes for me too. It's great to have you here. And I can't wait to get into the ring with you."  
  
Lita gave Torrie a gentle smile in return. "Thanks. I can't wait either." She slowly locked eyes with Matt, the soft, genuine smile still on her face. "You better go get ready for your match."  
  
He nodded, a slightly bewildered expression on his face. "Yeah, you're right. We better get going." As they made their way out into the hallway, Matt turned back to Lita. "Good to see you again, Li." He sent her a quick smile before closing the door behind them.  
  
Dawn Marie and Nidia didn't move from their place in the corner of the room. They hadn't said a word during the tense moment since Matt Hardy had entered the locker room. And now that he had left, they weren't sure of what to say to Lita. They weren't even sure how seeing him - with Torrie - had affected her.  
  
The diva sat back down on the couch, letting out a deep breath of air. She ran a hand through her hair, tucking it behind her ears quickly. She sat silently, staring at the locker room door with a glazed look coated over her eyes.  
  
It was Dawn Marie who stepped forward towards Lita first, still a little cautious of what to say to her and how to say it. But she knew that Lita needed to talk about what had just happened. And Dawn Marie wanted to be there for her as much as she could. Whether the redhead had something good to say, or something bad - Dawn Marie wanted to give her support and hear it.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" The brunette diva sat beside Lita gently, her question soft. Lita sent her a quick glance before drawing in a deep breath and concentrating on the floor once more.  
  
"I'm thinking about Jeff."  
  
Nidia stepped closer towards the couch, Lita's comment arousing her curiosity. "Jeff? But... you just saw Matt again for the first time in quite a while. I know that it was difficult and awkward for you. I could feel it."  
  
Lita nodded, looking up and over at Nidia. "Yeah, you're right. Seeing Matt like that was kind of difficult. And it was slightly awkward. But not for the reasons you think it was." Lita paused, wondering if she should continue. She reached up, rubbing her temples and closing her eyes briefly before returning to what she was saying. "I've seen Matt since we broke up. A few times, actually. But all of those times, I've had Jeff with me. This is the first time I've seen Matt or been around him since the break up that Jeff hasn't been with me." She looked over at Dawn Marie. "It was painful, seeing Matt just then."  
  
"It was?" Dawn asked, her brows rising in question. She shook her head slightly. "I mean, I understand that it would be uncomfortable, awkward.. but painful? Lita, I was under the impression that you were over Matt... and that you didn't care about him being with another woman --"  
  
Lita shook her head. "I don't care about that. And I am over Matt. That wasn't what was painful about seeing him again." She gave a quiet, almost bitter chuckle. "It has absolutely nothing to do with Matt Hardy, or Torrie Wilson."  
  
Nidia and Dawn Marie exchanged glances, looking at each other curiously, wondering if the other had some sort of idea what was going on in Lita's head. They were both hearing what the redhead was saying, yet neither of them really understood what she was trying to say.  
  
Not waiting for another question from the other divas, Lita continued to explain her feelings. "It was painful because it was just another reminder that Jeff isn't here with me anymore." She bit her lower lip, willing herself to keep her strength and be calm as she spoke about the youngest Hardy brother. "With each passing day, it seems there's something new around to remind me that I'm here and Jeff isn't."  
  
Dawn Marie and Nidia sat down on the couch, both the women sitting on each side of Lita. Nidia rubbed Lita's shoulders comfortingly, and Dawn Marie reached out for her hand. "It's hard, when you're missing someone so close to you and you're reminded every day that they're not here with you..." Dawn trailed off, watching as Lita's form began to shake.  
  
Sucking in a gasp of air, Lita tried to force her rising tears down. Why was all of this hitting her so hard? All this pain, all this loss... it was horrible. "I just miss him so much. I didn't even realise how much I missed him. He just used to always be there. Always. Whenever I turned around, he was standing there beside me. And even when he couldn't be with me, he was always a phone call away. Always." The redheaded diva reached up, wiping a stray tear away. "It's just hard. It's hard living without him."  
  
Nidia ran her hand up and down Lita's back slowly, as Dawn Marie held her hands tightly within her own. The two divas were saddened by Lita's confession, and yet didn't quite know what they could say to her to try and make it better. So instead, they stayed quietly, hoping that their presence would let her know that they cared, and wanted to be there for her.  
  
Lita rubbed at her eyes, desperately forcing the tears and sorrow back down. She gulped quickly, her breathing erratic from her short breakdown. As her breaths began to calm down, she tried to speak once more. "I've been looking forward to coming back to the WWE since the day I was injured." She looked up at the two women surrounding her, a hollowness apparent in her eyes. "All I've been able to think about for the past year is being back here. Wrestling, travelling... whatever."  
  
She stopped quickly, holding a hand to her chest, and biting her lip fiercely. She could feel her throat constricting, and the wave of tears sweep over her once more. Her vision grew blurry once more, and she felt drops of moisture underneath her eyelashes.  
  
"Now I'm finally back. I'm here, where I've wanted to be." A choked sob escaped her lips, and she felt the hot, salty tears run down her cheeks. "And I've realised that being here without Jeff here beside me is just not worth it." 


	9. The Audience

Title: Nothing Stays the Same.  
  
Author: Cathie McMath. (email: penrithpanther_03@yahoo.com.au)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Christian, Matt Hardy - or any other WWE wrestlers that I may mention in this fic. I dream about owning them every night.. but in reality I don't. Good ol' Vinny Mac does.  
  
Summary: Change happens all the time in the WWE. In fact, both Jeff and Lita are going through some major changes. But how do they deal with what's happening around them? What are the consequences of their actions?  
  
Rating: PG. It's nice and clean. For now.  
  
TimeLine: Now. Starting from January through to right now - October 2003.  
  
Distribution: Just email me and let me know if you'd like to have it.  
  
Feedback: It's what makes me happy! And we all want a happy Cathie, don't we? So go on, send those reviews! It's for a good cause!  
  
Author's Note: Yep, still creating my own world here. Lita's still on Smackdown, and Jeff has still quit. Don't know if I mentioned this in an earlier chapter, but in my world Smackdown is live to air like RAW. And that's about all you need to know! Go and enjoy the chapter! Go!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
"Why are we watching this crap?"  
  
Jeff Hardy glared over at the blonde canadian who sat beside him on the couch. "Because, Christian, it's the only good thing on at the moment." He brought his attention back to the sitcom that was playing on the screen. "Besides, I thought you liked 'Will & Grace'?"  
  
Christian rolled his eyes at his friend as he picked up another piece of pizza that was set on the coffee table in front of them. "I admit, I may have a soft spot for a good comedy about gay guys." He glanced at the clock across the wall. "But not when Smackdown is on at the same time. Come on Jeff, you know that Smackdown started fifteen minutes ago."  
  
Finishing off his piece of pizza, Jeff grabbed a napkin from the table and wiped his hands, his eyes not leaving the television screen. "Do we really have to watch it tonight? I mean, it's probably going to be all about Vince - like it is every week now. Why don't we just skip it tonight?"  
  
"Nah, come on!" Christian kept his gaze firm on the younger Hardy brother. "I hardly ever get to watch Smackdown live, Jeff, you know that. Don't deny me that pleasure on my first night off in months!"  
  
"Yeah, what's up with that anyway?" Jeff questioned, turning to the blonde. "It's your first night off in like, forever, and you're spending it here... with me... AND you want to watch wrestling? Don't you ever just want to get away from it? Take a break? Forget about the business for a while?"  
  
Christian shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I guess I could be out partying at some nightclub with a hot chick right now, instead of sitting here with you but --" He paused, his brow furrowing slightly. "Actually come to think of it, why AREN'T I out doing that?" His hardened features melted into a joking smile, and he reached over to ruffle Jeff's hair. "I'm here cause I miss ya, buddy! It's weird not having you on the road with us anymore."  
  
A small smile found it's way onto Jeff's lips as he pushed Christian's hands away, running his own fingers through his now faded blue and green hair. "Alright, enough of that mushy shit." He sat back and took in a deep breath. "I miss being on the road with you guys too."  
  
"So let's watch Smackdown!" Christian proclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "Come on Jeff, I know you want to!" Receiving nothing from Jeff, the blonde canadian turned to begging. He got up from the couch, and knelt down on the floor beside Jeff, his hands in a praying position. "Please Jeff! Please, please can we watch Smackdown?"  
  
Jeff looked down at his friend, one eyebrow raised. "Do you know how pathetic you look down there?"  
  
Christian rose up to his feet, a frown forming on his face as he let out a sigh. "Shuttup Hardy, and just change the freakin' channel!"  
  
"Alright, alright." Jeff picked up the remote, and flicked channels until landing on Smackdown. Christian sat back down on the couch beside Jeff, focusing his attention onto the television screen. They watched the proceedings in silence, speaking up for a short while to discuss how much Stephanie McMahon had changed over the past year or so since taking on the General Manager role on Smackdown. Then they returned to silence as they watched Tajiri match up against Ultimo Dragon.  
  
Taking a gulp from the beer bottle in his hand, Christian stole a glance at his friend. He couldn't be sure, but since Smackdown had been on the screen, he sensed a change in Jeff's demeanour. The youngest Hardy had tensed up, his whole body had gone rigid and stiff. He was sitting on the edge of the couch, and he watched the television with a frown that Christian thought had a mixture of worry and discomfort laced throughout his features.  
  
"Hey, Jeff. You okay man?"  
  
Jeff looked over at his friend. "Yeah, I'm fine." He turned his attention back to the screen. "What makes you think that something is --" Jeff yelped out a small squeal suddenly, jumping up from the couch and practically running into the kitchen.  
  
"Jeff? What the..." Christian watched as he fled from the room, and curiously looked toward the television. It was then that he realised what made Jeff so damn agitated. There, on the screen, was Lita. The redheaded diva was making her way to the ring, matching up against Dawn Marie. He shook his head to himself. "Damn.."   
  
Walking into the kitchen after him, he spotted Jeff leaning on the counter top, a glass of water clutched in his hand which he drank down greedily. He kept his gaze on the tiled floor, not wanting to look up and see the look of pity on Christian's face.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
Jeff placed the glass down in the sink, his back to Christian. "I'm fine. I just --"  
  
"No, don't feed me that bullshit. I know something's wrong Jeff." Christian made his way closer to his friend. "I'm not stupid, and I'm not blind. I saw what just happened out there. And I know you left because Lita came on the screen." At the sound of her name, Jeff closed his eyes tightly, wishing that this conversation didn't have to happen. Christian continued. "What I don't know, is why."  
  
There was no answer. Christian studied the man in front of him as Jeff raked a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. He finally looked up, his eyes locking onto Christian's. He opened his mouth slightly, starting to say something. Then a cloud passed over his eyes, and he simply shook his head, and cast his gaze down to his feet.   
  
"Jeff, just tell me. What's wrong?" The blonde canadian stepped closer to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder, trying to show his support. "It's okay. You can tell me anything, you know that."  
  
Green eyes were immediately thrown up, looking at Christian once more. Only now they were narrowed, the weight of the frown on Jeff's face causing his features to harden. "It's hard."  
  
"What is?"  
  
"Seeing her. There." He cleared his throat, his voice small and scared. "Without me."  
  
Christian's eyes widened in shock as he realised exactly what was bugging his friend. He knew he was missing being in the ring, travelling with the boys, and he even knew that he missed her. But to this extent? "You miss her alot, don't you?"  
  
Nodding slowly, Jeff answered, leaning on the kitchen counter. "Yeah. A damn lot. But I miss her every day, you know. From the moment I wake, until the moment I sleep. I miss having her with me." He jerked his head towards the living room. "Seeing her wrestling though, is even harder. It makes the pain ten times clearer and stronger. She's there without me. I'm not there to watch her back, or tell her she did well. I'm not there to give her five when she wins, or comfort her when she loses." He looked at Christian, his eyes questioning. "I've let her down, haven't I? I let her down when I walked out of that company. She was back, and she needed me, and I just walked out on her."  
  
"No, Jeff, no. You didn't. Don't talk like that. She went over to Smackdown, remember? She left RAW. She walked out on you."  
  
"I should've gone with her. I should've made her stay. I should have and could have done SOMETHING, besides leaving. Besides quitting." Jeff let out a bitter snort. "Matt said it all along. And I always told him he was wrong. But he was right in the end. I'm weak."  
  
"Jeff..."  
  
"No. Don't give me sympathy." He shook his head. "You need to understand why I can't sit there and watch her. I can't watch her be there without me. I walked out on her, I QUIT on her... and it's so hard to see her there, alone. It's so hard..."  
  
Christian grabbed Jeff by the arm, and dragged him back to the living room, placing him on the couch. "Sit down, shuttup, and listen to me." Sitting beside him, Christian turned to him. "I know you're feeling bad for leaving. I know you feel like you let Lita down. And I know you wish you were right there by her side right now."  
  
Jeff nodded along to Christian's words, admitting how he felt. His head was lowered, his gaze on his feet.  
  
"So why don't you just come back?"  
  
Suddenly, Jeff's head whipped up. "Come back? Christian... I can't just come back!"  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"Because... well, because..." He sighed. "It's complicated."  
  
Scoffing loudly, Christian grabbed his friend by the shoulders and shook him. "Complicated? How complicated could it be? You miss her, she misses you. You both want to be by each other's sides. So you go back. Re-join the company. Get placed on Smackdown. Bada-bing, bada-boom. You're together again and everybody's happy. I don't see anything complicated about that."  
  
There was a silence as Jeff soaked up everything Christian had just said. Return to the WWE? After he had just walked out and given up and quit? How could he? .. It wasn't that he didn't want to come back, or didn't miss it, because he did. So much. And it wasn't that he didn't want to be around Lita... because he wanted that too, more than anything else. But how could he just waltz back in, like nothing had ever happened? What would Lita say to that? Would she welcome him back with open arms? Or tell him to get lost?  
  
"Wait a minute." Jeff rose an eyebrow, glancing over at Christian. "Did you say before that Lita missed me? That she wanted to be 'by my side'?" The blonde hesitated, and then nodded. Jeff continued. "Did she tell you that?"  
  
"Well, not exactly." He winced under the glare Jeff was sending his way. "Okay, not at all. But come on! You can see it in her eyes, Jeff! Everything she does, she's thinking of you as she does it. Every word she says, every move she makes, every breath she takes..."  
  
"She'll be missing me?" Jeff broke in, a sarcastic smile slipping onto his lips.  
  
"I swear, I wasn't going for the whole 'steal-from-song-lyrics' kind of speech, but yeah!" Christian threw his hands up in the air. "She misses you, just as much as you miss her. So stop being a stubborn ass and just go back to her!"  
  
The two men gave in to silence for a while, each thinking over what had just been said. It wasn't until they heard the familiar music blasting from the television screen that they returned to the attention to what was happening on the show.  
  
Lita had been victorious over Dawn Marie, and as they watched the replay they saw how. With a stunning DDT and powerbomb. The brunette diva hadn't had a chance going up against that fiery redhead. She climbed up the turnbuckles, signalling to the crowd as they went crazy for her. Hopping down, she slid out of the ring and made her way to the back.  
  
"Look at her. She's gorgeous, isn't she?" Jeff said, unable to tear his eyes away from her form as she walked up the ramp.   
  
Christian didn't reply, knowing that Jeff might have said that comment out loud, but it wasn't for him to hear. He looked over at the youngest Hardy, and took in the glassy look in his eyes, and how he sat right on the edge of the couch. It was almost as if he were under some sort of spell, transfixed to Lita's image. Oh yeah, he missed that woman badly.  
  
The canadian was still watching his friend when he saw Jeff draw in an abrupt breath, and his face fold into a tight grimace. Confused at the sudden change, Christian turned his attention back to the screen. "Oh, damn..."  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure she's missing me Christian. Looks like it a whole lot."  
  
Christian shook his head as he watched the screen in front of them. Lita was shown in a locker room backstage, talking with Matt Hardy. The eldest Hardy brother was smiling at the redhead, patting her on the back and then he gave her a high five.  
  
"Something had to happen between the two of them." Christian said, desperate to make Jeff feel better. "You have to know that. As soon as the fans knew Lita would be coming to Smackdown, they were wondering what would happen between her and Matt. The writers would've had to do something with them sooner or later." Receiving no response from Jeff, Christian added. "It's what the audience wants to see, Jeff. They want to see it."  
  
Jeff stood up from the couch, leaving Christian alone in the living room as he made his way into the hallway, towards his bedroom. As he left, he shook his head. "Well, I'm part of the audience now. And I sure as hell don't want to see it." 


	10. Come with Me

Title: Nothing Stays the Same.  
  
Author: Cathie McMath. (email: penrithpanther_03@yahoo.com.au)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Christian, Matt Hardy - or any other WWE wrestlers that I may mention in this fic. I dream about owning them every night.. but in reality I don't. Good ol' Vinny Mac does.  
  
Summary: Change happens all the time in the WWE. In fact, both Jeff and Lita are going through some major changes. But how do they deal with what's happening around them? What are the consequences of their actions?  
  
Rating: PG. It's nice and clean. For now.  
  
TimeLine: Starting from January through to October 2003.  
  
Distribution: Just email me and let me know if you'd like to have it.  
  
Feedback: It's what makes me happy! And we all want a happy Cathie, don't we? So go on, send those reviews! It's for a good cause!  
  
Author's Note: Lita's still on Smackdown, and Jeff has still quit. And because I was lazy and slack I've had to do a bit of catching up with this fic, so this chapter and the next few chapters revolve around RAW a few months ago in October 2003.  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
Running a hand through his cropped blonde hair, Christian rounded the arena hallway corner. As he walked, he glanced around him, taking in his surroundings and noting which doors he passed. The security guard at the arena doors said that the diva's locker room was right down the end of the hall, just after Paul Heyman's office...  
  
As he turned another corner, the blonde canadian's eyes fell upon the two figures standing further down the hall. He paused slightly as he studied them for a few seconds. They were talking, smiles on both of their faces. A heart filled laugh flowed from the woman's lips as she patted the arm of the man beside her. They looked close, and friendly and... and maybe Jeff had every reason to be upset.  
  
Before he could jump to any more conclusions, Christian walked up to the two, smiling widely. "Hey you two. Long time, no see."  
  
The redheaded woman turned away from the man beside her, facing Christian. She smiled warmly as she looked at him, her hazel eyes twinkling. "Hey! Christian!" She opened her arms and the two friends hugged. "What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you or anything like that, but... what are you doing here?"  
  
Christian pulled away from Lita, squeezing her hand gently. "I've just come to pay my favourite redhead a visit, if that's okay with you." She smiled, ducking her head. Christian winked playfully at her.  
  
Then, his eyes met those of the man beside her. "Hi Matt. Good to see you."  
  
Matt Hardy offered a hand to Christian, who accepted it readily. The two pulled each other in for a hug, patting each other's backs. They moved away, smiling softly at each other. Matt placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "It's been way too long, man."  
  
"That's for sure. We'll have to go out sometime soon, to a club or something. Just like the old days." Christian sent the dark haired man a small smirk.  
  
Nodding, Matt returned the smile. "That'd be nice. I haven't been out with the boys in such a long time. Not since Lita and I..." He sent a quick glance to the redhead beside him, and then corrected himself. "It's been a while, so that would definitely be nice."  
  
Christian smiled once more, and then turned his attention back to Lita. "Do you have a moment? I'm here because I wanted to visit you guys, but I also have to actually talk to you about something. Are you free now?"  
  
Lita looked over at Matt, who nodded at her. She turned back to Christian. "Yeah, that's cool. I can talk to Matt later."  
  
Matt waved as he walked down the hallway to his locker room, and once he had disappeared around the corner, Christian placed his hand gently on Lita's arm. "Can we talk somewhere private, please?"  
  
"Sure." Lita began to lead the way, and as they walked she looked over at her friend with raised eyebrows. "This 'talk' sounds pretty serious. No one's hurt or in trouble, are they?"  
  
"No, no, nothing like that." Christian answered quickly. He pondered that for a moment, and then cocked his head. "Well, actually you could say he's hurt... but not like you're thinking."  
  
"So no one's in hospital?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"That's okay then." Lita sent him a quick, soft smile as they entered the diva's locker room. Walking in, she glanced around, checking to see if anyone was in there. She nodded to Christian. "It's okay, we're alone. Now what is it that you want to talk to me about?"  
  
Christian sat down on a wooden bench, sighing slightly. "Jeff."  
  
Lita felt herself tense up. Just the mention of his name and she already felt like crying her eyes out... she shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. No. She would not do this to herself again. She folded her arms across her chest defensively. She scolded herself for being such an emotional, uncontrollable little girl. She COULD talk about that man without breaking into tears.   
  
"What about him?"  
  
Unable to predict how this talk would go, the blonde canadian raked a hand through his hair nervously. "Besides the fact that he's a hard headed, love sick fool?" He shrugged. "He's not doing too well."  
  
Immediately, Lita filled with worry. He arms dropped to her side and her features softened. "Is he okay? What's wrong? Is he sick? What -"  
  
"No, he's healthy and nothing is physically wrong with him or anything like that." Christian answered, waving his hands and shaking his head. "He just... God, he misses you like crazy, Li."  
  
Her eyes dropped to the floor. "I miss him too." Suddenly, her gaze flew back to the blonde. "But I'm not the one who isn't returning phonecalls, or refusing to talk to me. I've tried to talk to him, Christian. I've tried. He mustn't miss me that much, because he obviously doesn't want to talk to me."  
  
"That's not true!" Christian exclaimed, eyes wide. "So completely, totally, not true."  
  
"But he doesn't return any of my phonecalls -"  
  
"That's because he's a stubborn ass!" The canadian said with emphasis. "We both know that. Jeff doesn't like to give in or give up. He doesn't like people thinking that he's weak."  
  
A fire in Lita's belly flared. She stepped towards Christian quickly. "I wouldn't think he's weak! I would never think that! I just want to talk to him!"  
  
Christian stood from the wooden bench, and began pacing around the locker room. His brow furrowed, he spoke gruffly. "But you have to understand how Jeff is thinking at the moment, Lita. He already thinks he gave up on you by leaving the company. And now he thinks that not talking to you is the best thing to do, for both your sake and his own."  
  
Lita began to protest once more, until Christian cut her off.  
  
"Plus the fact that he thinks you and Matt are back together doesn't help at all."  
  
A mixture of confusion and disbelief flashed in Lita's eyes. She narrowed her eyes at Christian, shaking her head slightly. "What? Jeff thinks that Matt and I are back together? Why in the world would he think that?"  
  
"Because he watches the show and he sees you two acting all chummy and together and friendly, and... I don't know... he just thinks you guys are back together." Hesitating cautiously, Christian pressed his lips together tightly before asking his question. "Are you back with him?"  
  
Looking at Christian with pure disbelief, Lita folded her arms over her chest. "Do you think I am?"  
  
He shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so. But you two DO seem pretty friendly with each other, considering that three months ago you couldn't spend two minutes in the same room as each other without erupting into a screaming match."  
  
"Matt and I have sorted out our differences, Christian." Lita answered with a hard glare. "We're trying to be friends again. And it's working out okay, so far. But there is no way in the world I could ever go back to him."  
  
The blonde man nodded. "Just can't forgive him enough?"  
  
"No, that's not it." Lita let out a soft, scoffing laugh as her gaze dropped to the floor. She unfolded her arms, and hugged herself consolingly. "I've forgiven Matt completely. I could never go back to him because I'm in love with another man."  
  
Christian stared at the woman in front of him for a few moments, no words able to escape from his lips. He watched her, and as he watched, as he studied her, he realised that she looked so sorrowful, and regretful and just so lost...  
  
"It's Jeff, isn't it?"  
  
Eyes still on the floor between the two, Lita nodded, a grim smile forming on her lips. "Yeah," she whispered. "Yeah. I'm in love with Jeff."  
  
He stepped forward, grabbing her hands in his and forcing her to look up at him. "Then let's do something about it."  
  
"Like what?" Lita asked desperately. "He won't talk to me, Christian! He won't -"  
  
"Do you think Paul Heyman is a romantic man?"  
  
Slowly easing out of her heartbroken trance, Lita rose an eyebrow at her friend. "And why the hell would you want to know the answer to that question?"  
  
Pulling her out of the divas locker room, and towards the General Manager's office, Christian locked eyes with Lita. "Because I need you to come back to RAW with me." 


	11. Announcement

Title: Nothing Stays the Same.  
  
Author: Cathie McMath. (email: penrithpanther_03@yahoo.com.au)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jeff, Lita, Lilian Garcia - or any other WWE wrestlers that I may mention in this fic. I dream about owning them every night.. but in reality I don't. Good ol' Vinny Mac does.  
  
Summary: Change happens all the time in the WWE. In fact, both Jeff and Lita are going through some major changes. But how do they deal with what's happening around them? What are the consequences of their actions?  
  
Rating: PG. It's nice and clean. For now.  
  
TimeLine: Starting from January through to November 2003.  
  
Distribution: Just email me and let me know if you'd like to have it.  
  
Feedback: It's what makes me happy! And we all want a happy Cathie, don't we? So go on, send those reviews! It's for a good cause!  
  
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
"I don't know if I can do this."  
  
Christian rubbed his hand up and down Lita's arm comfortingly, leading the redheaded diva into his locker room at the RAW arena. "Sure you can sweetie." They entered the room, and he closed the door firmly behind them.  
  
Raking a hand through her long, fiery hair, Lita sighed and shook her head. "I'm just going to be making a complete fool of myself out there. Jeff probably won't even be watching, and then I'll just have embarrassed myself for nothing..."  
  
Cupping Lita's face in his hands, Christian locked eyes with her. "Calm down. This is a great idea. Jeff is watching, trust me. And no one will think you're a fool for doing this. Everyone will think that you're an extremely brave woman, who's in love, and simply doing all that you can to get the man that you love back into your life."  
  
Contemplating his words, there was a pause. She dropped her gaze, chewing on her lip. Finally, she brought her stare back to the blonde canadian. "You think so?"  
  
"I know so."  
  
Lita covered Christian's hands with her own, and sent him a grateful smile. "Thank you."  
  
Leaning down slightly, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Don't worry about it." A small, half smile. "I guess I'm just a hopeless romantic deep down, hey?"  
  
She beamed. "I guess you are."  
  
The two friends stood in the middle of the locker room for a moment, simply smiling at each other. Lita broke the comfortable silence first. "So how are you so sure that he'll be watching? Not that I'm doubting you or freaking out or anything, but it's quite possible that he's not at home, or watching something else, or out with someone..."  
  
"Jeff will be watching, because I told him to." Christian confessed. He continued explaining when he saw Lita's jaw drop. "I rang him earlier tonight and told him that there was going to be a very important announcement tonight, and that he had to hear it. Told him it was huge and exciting."  
  
Her face went red. "Christian! As if I wasn't nervous enough!"  
  
"Oh, come on Red." He stepped towards the couch at the back of the room. "I didn't lie or anything. It is an important announcement, and it is huge and exciting."  
  
She paced around the room, her nerves rising once more. "But I don't even know what I'm going to say once I get out there! I haven't planned anything coherent to say at all! All I've got are these swirling thoughts that go racing through my mind at a million miles every second of the day."  
  
"Then just say whatever's in your head at the time. You don't need a brilliant, elaborate speech or anything like that planned, Li." Christian looked at her, cocking his head slightly. "You're talking to Jeff, remember, and Jeff alone. All you need is something that's from your heart. He won't accept anything else."  
  
Lita ceased her pacing, slipping beside the blonde haired man on the couch. She leant beside him, nestling her head on his chest. She let out an anxious breath. "I'm just scared, Christian. What if I pour my heart out in that ring, and admit everything that I've been feeling and everything that's been happening and how much I care about him and just say whatever's in my heart - and then he turns me down? What happens if he doesn't want to come back?"  
  
"He will. Lita, he will."  
  
She ignored his reassuring words, her mind frantically buzzing with dark possibilities. "God, Christian, what if I lost my chance with him when I left him to go to Smackdown?"  
  
"You can't blame your choice for going over to Smackdown. Jeff was with Trish at the time, remember? How were you to know that she'd turn out to be nothing but a self serving, opportunistic trash bag?" He combed his fingers through her hair, her head still resting on his chest. "You can't blame that choice. You thought it'd be the best thing for you."  
  
"And instead, I just succeeded in pushing Jeff further away." She looked up at him, sadness in her eyes.   
  
Unable to find anything to say, Christian looked down at his friend, compassion and sympathy present in his eyes.   
  
The sudden, heavy silence in the room was interrupted by a knocking at the door. Christian turned his attention towards the door. "Its open."  
  
Slowly, the door opened and Lilian Garcia peered inside. "Hi guys."  
  
"Hey Lilian. " Christian stood up. "Come on in. What's up?"  
  
The petite blonde woman directed her gaze towards Lita, who was still sitting on the couch. "I just wanted to let you know that your time in the ring is coming up soon, Lita. In about fifteen minutes. Mr Bischoff sent me in here just to make sure that you'll be ready."  
  
Nodding, Lita sent her friend a small smile. "Thanks Lil. I'll be ready."  
  
Smiling back, Lilian made her way towards the door. She turned back to her friend. "See you out there."  
  
Once the door was closed again, Lita looked back to Christian with an nervous smile on her face. She tucked her hair behind her ears and let out a breath.  
  
"Looks like it's now or never."  
  
***  
  
Lilian raised the microphone to her lips, smiling in anticipation of seeing her friend in a RAW ring once again, even if it was for only an announcement. Now there was an interesting question. What was this 'announcement Lita had to make anyway?  
  
"And now, introducing to the ring, a Smackdown superstar on RAW for a 'special announcement', Lita!"  
  
Familiar music blaring through the arena, the crowd rose to their feet as they screamed and cheered for the redhead diva. Walking down the ramp towards the ring, Lita waved to the fans and bounced to her music. As she entered the ring, she tried desperately to hide exactly how nervous and scared she was. Was she actually going through with this?  
  
Finally, her music faded away, and Lilian handed her the mic. Noticing how anxious her redheaded friend seemed, Lilian sent her a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine."  
  
Lita smiled back, even though her stomach was fluttering and her heart was pounding. She let out a breath, tried to calm her nervous stomach, and brought the microphone to her lips.  
  
"First of all, I have to say that being here tonight has made me realise how much I miss being in a RAW ring."  
  
At this, the lively crowd roared their approval. Lita nodded and smiled, silently wondering how the people would react to her confession next.  
  
"But I'm here tonight for a special reason. I'm here to let someone know exactly how I feel about them, apologise for certain things I've done..." She hesitated slightly. "... and pretty much plead my case."  
  
Lita turned so that she was facing a camera, looking directly into the lens. "Jeff, I really hope you're watching because I have alot I need to say to you. Alot I need you to hear from me. And if this is the only way I'm going to get you to hear it, well then, so be it."  
  
"You know better than anyone how hard it was for me during my injury. You know because you were there. You were always there. You know how much I longed to be back in a ring, kicking some diva ass and chasing that women's belt once more. But most of all, I longed to be back here, wrestling by your side again. That's what I missed the most."  
  
She cleared her throat, stepping around the ring slowly. "Then, as I was nearing my rehab, you and Trish started something. And suddenly you didn't come to visit as often, or even bother to call. It became weeks and weeks until I heard from you, and even then our conversations were forced. You wanna know why? It was because I didn't want to talk to you."  
  
"I bet you're wondering why it was that I didn't want to talk to you. Hell, I wondered myself for weeks. It wasn't until only recently that I realised why it was so hard for me to talk to you or watch you on television... and it was because I was jealous."  
  
Lita paused, trying to calm her pounding heart, the thudding resonating in her ears. "I wanted to be Trish so badly. She was EXACTLY where I wanted to be - by your side. Except I denied this to myself at first. I blamed our sudden lack of friendship on other, stupid, petty things and tore down our relationship. So much so, that I found that once I was ready to return, I couldn't bring myself to work with you on RAW. So I moved to Smackdown."  
  
"That night, one week later, when you told me you were leaving the WWE for good, I felt my heart being torn in two. You said so many incredibly sweet and touching things to me, and I never realised that I meant that much to you." Pausing once more, Lita ran a hand through her hair, letting out a breath. "I thought that I would be okay on Smackdown. I figured that once I got back into the swing of things, everything would be okay. Instead, being back in action, back in a ring, just proved to me how much I missed having you there with me."  
  
"Like you said to me that night in the arena hallway... I can't do this without you." She looked into the lens of the camera once more. "I am saying this on live television, in front of all these people and everyone watching at home because I want them to know that I mean it. I want you to know that I mean what I say. I'm not afraid to let everyone know how I feel, Jeff."  
  
Silence. Lita let her arm fall to her side, and she ducked her head. People in the crowd began to wonder if she would be unable to finish what she was trying to say. Until she lifted her head back up, her hazel eyes sparkling with moisture as she stared into the camera.  
  
"I love you."  
  
The crowd exploded into cheers and applause, and a wry smile formed on Lita's lips. After the audience fell quiet again, she continued. "It took me so long to admit it to myself, but I can't try and deny it any more. I love you, and I need you here with me. Every day that I'm here without you..."   
  
Her voice trailed off, to that of a whisper. "It hurts, Jeff. It hurts without you. And I don't want to do it without you anymore. Please.... come back." Loud cheers from the crowd once again. "I miss you so much."  
  
There was so much more that she could say, but Lita felt her throat close up and the tears begin to well in her eyes. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she sucked in a deep breath, willing herself not to cry. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned around to see Lilian standing behind her, a comforting smile on the blonde's face.  
  
Falling into her friend's arms, Lita let the microphone drop to the floor, causing an echo to stir through the arena. Trying to fill the sorrowful silence, Lita's music hit, filtering through the sound system. The crowd stood from their seats, clapping and cheering as they watched Lita make her way out of the ring, up the ramp towards the back area.  
  
Looking out at the mass of people before she stepped backstage, Lita realised the effect her words had on the crowd. She gave a slight smile, touched that they felt for her. Her smile slowly slipped away, as she found herself hoping that Jeff had been watching, and that he'd been just as touched by her words too.  
  
All she could do now, was wait and see. 


End file.
